1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system, apparatus, program and method that output is available at a network device with a power save mode, and more particularly to an output system, a device management apparatus and program, output method and printing system that are suited to reduce the power consumption in an authentication output system without increasing the time up to the start of an output.
2. Related Art
As a printing system having a security function, there is known an authentication printing system wherein a user authentication apparatus is provided nearby a network printer so that printing can be started at the network printer when the user sends print data from the host terminal to the user authentication apparatus and then swipes an authentication card in the user authentication apparatus.
In the existing authentication printing system, when the network printer is in a power save status, the network printer remains in a power save status for the duration before delivering print data to an interpreter for the network printer. In such a case, a delay is encountered in starting a printing by the time required for the warming up process. The user is required to wait for the start/completion of printing. Meanwhile, in order to maintain the warm-up status for swiftly staring a printing, a constant amount of power consumption is needed which imposes a burden economically/environmentally.
JP-A-2004-272596 discloses an art wherein a printing is to be started swiftly at a network printer with a power save mode. The invention described in JP-A-2004-272596 is that, when pushing a remote output button provided on a print setting/operation panel, a warm-up command is sent to a previously registered network printer thereby warming up the network printer.
However, where applying the invention described in JP-A-2004-272596 to an authentication printing system, the following problem arises.
In the authentication printing system, because print data is held in the user authentication apparatus, there is a case that printing is not immediately done after a user's transmission of print data from the host terminal but printing is executed by providing a user authentication after the passage of a certain time. Accordingly, even in case the network printer is warmed up during operating the print set/operation panel at the host terminal as in the invention described in JP-A-2004-272596, power is uselessly consumed in case a long time is taken upon providing a user authentication from a sending of print data.
Meanwhile, in recent years, the information processing apparatus, home electrical appliance, or the like is configured to reduce power consumption under the environmental standard, such as International Energy Program, to automatically briefly suspend the apparatus function where the apparatus is out of use for a constant time after the use thereof.
However, in case the warm-up status is maintained for a constant time after completing the printing as above also on the network printer for use in an authentication printing system, a readily printable status is to be maintained despite the appearance that no print output is to be done. This correspondingly consumes power thus imposing a burden economically/environmentally.
Such a problem is not limited to printing at the network printer but can be thought likewise in the case that a display device, such as a projector or an LCD (liquid crystal display), is connected to a network so that display can be effected on the display device.